Cooling system tester

ABSTRACT

A testing apparatus for engine colling systems including radiators and radiator caps. The test apparatus is contained in an enclosure separate from the radiator and connected to a source of compressed air. An inflatable plug is used to both seal the radiator inlet and supply air to the interior of the radiator. A cap mount is provided on the enclosure for testing the radiator cap independently of the radiator and for alternately including the normally openable cap elements in the cooling system being tested. During testing of the radiator, the cap provides the identical safety functions which it normally provides when seated on the radiator inlet. In operation, the cap is placed on the cap mount and the inflatable plug is pressurized to seal the radiator inlet. Air under pressure can then be directed in succession to the cap mount and to the radiator interior, thereby permitting the user to determined the presence and location of pressure leaks in the cooling system.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Myron C. Orr

c/o Snappy Manufacturing Co., P. 0. Box 881, Missoula, Mont. 59801 [21]Appl. No. 797,430 [22] Filed Feb. 7, 1969 {45] Patented June 8,1971

[54] COOLING SYSTEM TESTER [3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] us. Cl 73/491 [5 1] int. Cl G0lm 3/32 [50] Field of Search 73/40,49.2,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,138,949 6/1964 Pipes 73/403,213,672 10/1965 Orr 73/40X mnAr/ov 1 v V4: V5 E; W

42 4.5 PM LE3- Primary Examiner-S. Clement Swisher AssistantExaminer-William A. Henrytll Attorney-Wells and St. John ABSTRACT: Atesting apparatus for engine colling systems including radiators andradiator caps. The test apparatus is contained in an enclosure separatefrom the radiator and connected to a source of compressed air. Aninflatable plug is used to both seal the radiator inlet and supply airto the interior of the radiator. A cap mount is provided on theenclosure for testing the radiator cap independently of the radiator andfor alternately including the normally openable cap elements in thecooling system being tested. During testing of the radiator, the capprovides the identical safety functions which it normally provides whenseated on the radiator inlet.

in operation, the cap is placed on the cap mount and the inflatable plugis pressurized to seal the radiator inlet. Air under pressure can thenbe directed in succession to the cap mount and to the radiator interior,thereby permitting the user to determined the presence and location ofpressure leaks in the cooling system.

cap ca/vmol. 25 \YALVE VAR/ABLE Am PHESSfl-IE SWITCH PREUuRE 37 l]l|l WINDICATOR PATENTEDJUN 8K3?! 3583210 SHEET 1 [IF 2 COOLING SYSTEM TESTERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my prior US. Pat. No. 3,213,672, grantedOct. 26, 1965, l disclosed the general features of a resilientinflatable plug for the inlet opening ofa radiator in order that theradiator can be sealed off effectively for pressure testing purposes. Bysealing a radiator and applying pressure to the interior thereof, onecan effectively determine the presence and location of leaks that renderthe radiator ineffective in use.

In further developing the commercial utilization of such a plug, it hasbeen necessary to introduce equipment of a portable nature that can bereadily used to test a radiator and cap while mounted on a vehicle orotherwise located on equipment of which the radiator formed a part. Thepresent apparatus provides a practical testing device for radiators andcaps which can be effectively used in a service station, garage or othermaintenance center. It is readily adaptable to portable use along with aself-contained source of pressurized air, so as to be usable for fieldtesting of stationary radiators at power generating plants, compressorsetc.

Prior devices for testing the cooling systems of automobiles have beenrather bulky in structure and have not provided great versatility withrespect to the sizes of inlets that can be checked by them. Examples ofprior devices using hand pumps for pressure testing are shown in thepatents to Mansfield, US. Pat. No. 3,100,391 and Pipes, US. Pat. No.3,138,949. Manual pumping involves considerable additional labor andtime spent in making the test procedure. An apparatus using a source ofcompressed air for testing radiators and caps is shown in the Black U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,361, but it provides no definite mechanism forseparately testing the cap apart from the radiator. Similarly, theKayser US. Pat. No. 2,893,238, which only tests the radiator, utilizes aliquid reservoir that must be separately handled and controlled, andrequires use of a sight glass that must be maintained vertically incondition visual observation. A study of these patents indicates thatthe use of any of the devices disclosed would be quite cumbersome andnot acceptable in a normal service station or garage procedure,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention set out in this disclosurecomprises an apparatus for testing a vehicle cooling system thatincludes a cap testing device that mounts the radiator cap identicallyto its intended mounting on the radiator inlet. The cap testingstructure includes an enclosed chamber in open communication with andselectively sealed by the radiator cap. The filler neck plug mounted inplace of the cap during testing of the radiator has expandable sidewallsto selectively seal the inlet of the radiator from which the cap hasbeen removed. It also includes a passage formed through the plug incommunication with the interior of the radiator. Conduit connections areprovided for pressurizing the chamber of the cap test structure and forconnecting the chamber to the passage of the filler neck plug in serieswith a source of pressurized air. Valve means is provided to selectivelyexhaust the passage of the filler neck plug so as to relieve the testpressure within the radiator while controlling any possible flow ofcoolant to the apparatus.

In addition to this essential structure, the apparatus includes a blockcheck device provided in conjunction with the structure so as to permitone to check for leakage of combustion gases from the engine block intothe cooling system. The apparatus also includes selectively operable airconnections for inflating the filler neck plug. Visual controls areprovided for monitoring of the pressure in the system and for checkingthe ability of the cooling system and/or cap to withstand a desiredpressure level.

It is a first object of the invention to provide a practical portableapparatus for testing the cooling system of engines using liquidradiators and pressure relief caps.

It is another object of the invention to provide a quick test of aradiator cap apart from the cooling system, as well as a test of thecooling system including the cap structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a testing apparatus thatcan be readily used by one having no particular technical skills so asto require little training or understanding of the testing apparatusitself in order to insure successful testing procedures.

Another object of the invention is to provide suitable protection forthe apparatus to prevent damage to it from liquid being drawn back fromthe radiator or from accidental inflation of the filler neck plug whennot in actual use.

These and further objects will be evident from the following disclosureand the details of the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred form of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I'is a schematic view of the testapparatus;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the test assembly;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the test assembly with a protective rear coverremoved;

FIG. 4 is a enlarged sectional view through the cap mounting structureas shown along line 4-4 in FIG. 2, a cap being illustrated in place; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view through a filler neck plug while located inthe block check port during storage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The general features of thetest apparatus are shown in FIG. 1, which schematically illustrates thevarious elements used in carrying out an effective and quick testingprocedure to determine the cxistence of leaks in an engine coolingsystem or the failure of a radiator cap to maintain proper pressure inthe system. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the general arrangement of the variouselements in a particular enclosure developed for practical use. FIG. 4shows the details of the cap test mount apparatus on the enclosure. FIG.5 shows the details of a typical test plug as might be used with thestructure in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The present apparatus is concerned with the testing of the interior of acooling system such as is used on motor drive vehicles or in stationaryengine installations where the engine is water cooled. In such aninstallation the cooling system normally includes a radiator indicatedgenerally at 10 and having a flller neck indicated generally at 11. Thefiller neck 11 normally includes an overflow opening adjacent to the capthat permits relief of excess pressure within the radiator 10 bymovement of a yieldable pad on the underside of the cap. In the presentdisclosure the cap is shown at 12. The yieldable pad is shown at 13. Cap12 is normally used to seal inlet 11 as pad 13 is biased against aconventional seat 14. The inlet 11 also includes a relief opening at 15which is located outward of seat 14.

In the present apparatus a cap test chamber 16 is formed as a sealedenclosure having a mounting neck 17 identical in structure to the inlet11, including a conventional seat 18 and relief opening 19. The cap 12is mounted on the mount 17 in precisely the same manner as it isnormally mounted on a radiator. In fact, as shown in FIG. 4, the captest chamber 16 can be fabricated by utilizing the filler neck portionofa radiator and closing its inner end by a wall 21. The only furthermodification necessary is the provision of suitable air inlet and outletconnections in communication with the interior of chamber 16.

After removal of the radiator cap 12, the tiller neck 11 is selectivelysealed by an inflatable plug 20. The plug 20 is a hollow rubber plughaving suitable length and diameter so as to fill the interior of thefiller neck when air under pressure is directed to its interior. The airconnection for inflation of plug 20 for directing air under pressure toor from the interior of radiator 10, this passage being generallyindicated at 22. The physical details of a typical plug are shown inFIG. 5 and the general requirements of such a plug are discussed morefully in my prior US. Pat. No. 3,213,672.

The general purpose of the apparatus disclosed more specifically belowis to direct air under pressure to the cap testing chamber 16 to checkthe ability of the radiator cap 12 to maintain normal operating pressurewithin the cooling system. A second test procedure involves theapplication of air under pressure to the interior of the cooling systemthrough radiator in series with the cap test chamber so as tosimultaneously check the ability of the cooling system and cap tomaintain operating pressure. In a third optional test, air exhaustedfrom the cooling system is checked to determine the presence ofcombustion gases due to cracks or defects in the engine block.

The apparatus includes an air inlet coupling 23 which can be connectedto any suitable source of air under pressure, such as u compressor ortank of pressurized air. A main filter 24 is included in the inletconnection.

The first test of cap 12 itself requires a supply of air under pressurein the cap test chamber 16. The first branch conduit shown generally at25 leads from air inlet coupling 23 to the interior of the cap testchamber 16. It includes a constant pressure regulator 26 preset at avalue above the normal operating pressure for the cooling system. Forautomobiles using cap pressures from 4 p.s.i. to 18 p.s.i., theregulator 26 should be set at about 22 p.s.i. It also includes an"on-off" cap control valve 27 which regulates the flow of air from theair inlet coupling 23 to the interior of the cap test chamber 16. Bymoving the valve 27 to an on position, air passage is provided to theinterior of cap test chamber 16. When in its of position, valve 27blocks passage of air to or from the cap test chamber 16.

The cap test chamber 16 is also in open communications with a firstportion 28 of a second conduit that is directed by means of a secondportion 29 to the passage 22 that leads to the interior of the coolingsystem. A system control valve 30 is interposed between the two portions28, 29 of this second conduit, having two alternative operatingpositions In position 1, as illustrated, valve 30 blocks the passage ofair between the two portions 28, 29 and passage 22 is exhausted. Inposition 2, the portions 28, 29 are connected to one another in opencommunication.

A third connection to the interior of the cap test chamber 16 isprovided by conduit 31, which leads to a conventional pressure gauge 32.The gauge 32 provides a visual indication of the amount of pressurewithin the interior of the chamber 16. When desired, a fourth conduit 33leads to an air pressure actuated switch assembly 34 of conventionalmanufacture. Switch 34 is preferably manually adjustable so that it canbe set to operate at the operating pressure required in the coolingsystem being tested. The switch assembly 34 is the operative control foran electrical circuit including a battery 35 and test switch 36 inseries with an indicator lamp 37. The lamp 37 is lighted by switchassembly 34 when pressure in cap test chamber 16 is below a presetlevel. It provides an immediate visual indication that the pressure inthe system being tested is below its rated pressure.

The two portions 28, 29 of the second conduit described above and thesystem control valve 30 constitute the essential elements of theradiator pressurizing circuit. When valve 30 is in position 2, air underpressure can be directed through cap test chamber 16 to the interior ofthe cooling system. When valve 30 is in position 1, the portion 29 ofthe second conduit is exhausted to a block check port 38, shown indetail in FIG. 5. The block check port 38 essentially comprises acylindrical enclosure open at one end and having an interior diametercorresponding to the exterior diameter of the filler neck plug 20. Theblock check port 3 includes a passage 39 to which an air conduit 40 issecured for directing air from the portion 29 of the second conduit tothe interior of the block check port 38. A restricted outlet 41 isprovided at the lower end of the block check port 38 to permit relief ofair under pressure or liquid within the enclosure. The restriction ofthe opening at 41 permits relief of air under pressure, but slows downthe release of such air for purposes that will be described below.

The filler neck plug 20 is selectively inflated by air directed througha second branch 42 of the air supply. The branch 42 also includes asecond filter 43 and a constant pressure regulator valve 44 preset tothe operating pressure desired for plug inflation. An inflation valve 45is included in the conduit connections, having two normal positionswhich are manually controlled. In position 1, the interior of the plug20 is exhausted to atmosphere. In position 2, as shown, the interior ofplug 20 is connected in series to the source of air for inflationpurposes.

All of the various elements shown in FIG. ll can be mounted within acommon enclosure shown at 46 in FIGS. 2 and 3. A control panel 47 ofenclosure 46 mounts the various control elements and devices forhandling the radiator cap and plug. These include the handle 48 thatpositions inflation valve 45 in either of its positions 1 or 2. Alsoincluded is a handle 50 that positions the cap control valve in eitheran on" or off" condition. A handle 51 is provided for positioning of thesystem control valve 30 in position 1 where it is operatively of andposition 2 where it is operatively on." The opening of the block checkport 38 is essentially flush with the panel 47 as shown in FIG. 5. Theflange of cap test chamber 16 projects slightly beyond panel 47 in themanner illustrated in FIG. 4. A storage enclosure 52 mounted within theenclosure 46 serves to hold the flexible tubing that extends to the plug20. It also is open through panel 47 and might include a suitable reelapparatus if desired.

OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS The described apparatus is portable and islight enough to be placed on a car fender or any convenient support. Toprepare the apparatus for testing of a cooling system, such as is foundcommonly on vehicles having internal combustion engines, the enclosure46 is brought to a location adjacent to the vehicle. The air inletcoupling 23 is connected to a compressor hose or to a hose leading tobottled air under adequate pressure. Switch 36 is moved to its onposition. The system control valve is initially in position 2, indicatedon the control panel by the designation off. The cap control valve 27 isalso in its off" condition.

The radiator cap 12 is then removed from the radiator and placed on thecap test chamber 16 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. A suitable size ofplug 20 is then connected to the flexible lengths of conduit leadingfrom the storage enclosure 52, and is placed within the cooling systemradiator inlet 11 in the manner shown schematically in FIG. 1. Switch 34is manually set to the operating pressure at which the cooling system israted. The apparatus is then ready for operation to first test cap 12and then the entire cooling system 10 including the cap 12 removed fromthe radiator.

To test the operation of the cap, valve 27 is moved to its on condition,thereby pressurizing cap test chamber 16. If cap 12 is operatingcorrectly it will maintain the pressure at switch 34 at the value atwhich switch 34 is manually set. This pressure will result in lamp 37being extinguished. The actual amount of pressure is monitored byviewing pressure gauge 32. After pressurizing of chamber 16, the valve27 is moved to its off condition. If the needle of gauge 32 is thenmoved downwardly, this is a ready indication of cap deficiency. As asecond check, the indicator lamp 37 will be lighted if the pressurewithin the chamber 16 drops below the preset value at which switch 34completes the lamp circuit. If the cap is satisfactory the gauge 32 willmaintain a steady reading and the lamp 37 will not be lighted.

Assuming that the cap test is satisfactory, the cap remains on the testchamber 16 and the plug 20 is inflated by moving the inflation valve 45to position 2, designated on the panel of enclosure 46 by the wordinflate. The radiator 10 is thereby sealed. The system control valve 30is then moved to position 2, designated on the operating panel of theenclosure 46 by the word "on. The system is pressurized by operating thecap control valve 27 again, moving it to the on" position. When theindicated cap pressure is reached on the pressure gauge 32, the valve 27can be left at its on" condition without danger of pressurizing thecooling system beyond its designed limits, since the cap 12automatically acts as a safety valve to permit relief of excess pressureby movement of the pad 13 in the normal fashion. To check the coolingsystem for leakage, the cap control valve 27 is returned to its ofcondition and the pressure gauge 32 is again observed to determinewhether there is a drop in pressure. Again, a drop below a presetpressure will result in the indicator light 37 flashing on. lfthepressure in the system remains steady for two minutes or more, thecooling system is free of appreciable leaks.

The block check port 38 can be used with commercially available testingdevices to determine the presence of exhaust gases within the coolingsystem. Such devices (not shown) are conventionally provided with rubberbulbs that fit within the inlet ll of the radiator. in place of such usethe bulb can be placed in the opening of the block check port 38. Whenthe system control valve is moved to position 2 indicated by thedesignation off, the pressurized air from within radiator will exhaustinto the block check port 38. This air can then be used for testingthrough such a chemical unit to determine whether combustion gases arepresent within the radiator and cooling system.

After these testing procedures, the slight amount of pressurized air incap test chamber 16 can be exhausted by a quick opening and closing ofvalve 30, or by simply removing the cap 12. Plug is deflated byreturning valve 45 to its original condition which results in theexhausting of the plug interior. The plug 20 is removed and normallystored in the block check port 38 as shown in FIG. 5. if one shouldaccidentally move valve 45 to the inflate" position, plug 20 will simplyexpand against the walls of port 38 and will not be damaged or possiblyendanger persons around the vicinity. The indicator lamp 38 is thenextinguished by opening of switch 36.

The above procedures can be carried out efficiently and very quickly byone having a minimum amount of mechanical skill. No particularadjustment of the apparatus is necessary and it is impossible to provideexcess pressure within the system, since the cap 12 itself acts as asafety valve. The unit serves the function of separately testing theradiator cap 12 and cooling systems, and the cooling system as testedalways includes the radiator cap that is used to normally seal it. lfonewishes only to check the operation of the cap this also can beaccomplished by simply eliminating the use of the plug 20 in thatparticular instance. The apparatus provides great versatility in thistesting procedure and is applicable to a wide variety of conditions.

Obviously modification can be made in the physical arrangement shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 and in the choice of particular valves and elements forcarrying out the function discussed above. As an example, the pressureindicator lamp 37 and all equipment associated with it can be eliminatedif one choses to rely solely upon the visual gauge 32. Audible buzzersor other signals can be used in place of the lamps shown.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In an apparatus for testing a vehicle cooling system that includes aradiator having a filler neck normally sealed by a removable radiatorcap, the improvement comprising:

cap test means for mounting a radiator cap in a manner identical to theintended mounting of the cap on a radiator filler neck, said cap testmeans comprising a chamber in open communication with and selectivelysealed by a radiator cap mounted thereon;

plug means having expandable sidewalls for selectively sealing thefiller neck ofa radiator, said plug means including a passage formedtherethrough in open communication with the interior ofa radiator sealedthereby;

first conduit means adapted to be operatively connected between a sourceof pressurized gas and the chamber of said cap test means forselectively delivering gas from the source to said chamber;

and second conduit means operatively connected between said chamber andthe passage of said plug for selectively delivering gas from the chamberto a radiator interior, said second conduit means including first valvemeans having an exhaust port for selectively exhausting said interior ofthe radiator.

2. The apparatus as set out in claim 1 further comprising:

block check means in the form of a receptacle having an opening at oneend complementary to a device for determining the presence ofleakagecombustion gases within a cooling system;

and a third conduit means operatively connected between the exhaust portof said first valve means and the interior of the receptacle of saidblock check means.

3. The apparatus as set out in claim 2 wherein the opening at said oneend of the receptacle is also complementary to the sidewalls of saidplug means so as to serve as safe storage for the walls of the plugmeans between uses of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus as set out in claim 2 wherein the receptacle isprovided with a restricted liquid relief opening at the lower endthereof.

5. The apparatus as set out in claim 1 further comprising:

gas pressure indicating means operatively connected to the chamber ofsaid cap test means.

6. The apparatus as set out in claim 1 wherein the plug means isinflatable to expand the sidewalls thereof and further comprising:

third conduit means operatively connected between the source ofpressurized gas and the interior of said plug means for selectivelydirecting gas under pressure to the interior thereof.

7. The apparatus as set out in claim 6 wherein the third conduit meansincludes a control valve having an outlet connection operativelyconnected to the interior of said'plug means and selectively exhaustedto atmosphere.

8. in an apparatus for testing a vehicle cooling system that includes aradiator having a filler neck normally sealed by a removable radiatorcap, the improvement comprising:

an enclosure having a control panel formed thereon;

a cap testing chamber mounted within the enclosure and including a capmounting flange protruding outwardly through the control panel forselective closure by a radiator cap in a manner identical to theintended mounting of the cap on a radiator filler neck;

a filler neck plug having expandable sidewalls adapted to selectivelyseal the filler neck of a radiator and including a passage formedtherethrough in open communication with the interior of a radiatorsealed thereby;

a first conduit within the enclosure selectively connected to a sourceof pressurized air, said first conduit being in communication with theinterior of said cap testing chamber;

a second conduit within the enclosure also in communication with theinterior of said cap testing chamber, said second conduit including aflexible section leading outward of the enclosure through the controlpanel and connected with the passage formed through the tiller neckplug, said second conduit including a first valve within the enclosurefor selectively connecting the passage and chamber, or exhausting thepassage.

9. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 wherein the first valve isoperated by a manual control handle on the control panel of theenclosure.

10. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 further comprising:

a pressure indicating device mounted on the control panel.

of the enclosure and operatively connected to the interior of said captesting chamber.

11. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 wherein the filler neck plug isinflatable through a valve connection to expand the sidewalls thereof;said apparatus further comprising:

a third conduit within the enclosure selectively connected to the sourceof pressurized air in common with said first conduit, said third conduitincluding a flexible conduit plug. 13. An apparatus as set out in claim12 wherein the exhaust connection of said first valve leads to theinterior of said receptacle.

1. In an apparatus for testing a vehicle cooling system that includes aradiator having a filler neck normally sealed by a removable radiatorcap, the improvement comprising: cap test means for mounting a radiatorcap in a manner identical to the intended mounting of the cap on aradiator filler neck, said cap test means comprising a chamber in opencommunication with and selectively sealed by a radiator cap mountedthereon; plug means having expandable sidewalls for selectively sealingthe filler neck of a radiator, said plug means including a passageformed therethrough in open communication with the interior of aradiator sealed thereby; first conduit means adapted to be operativelyconnected between a source of pressurized gas and the chamber of saidcap test means for selectively delivering gas from the source to saidchamber; and second conduit means operatively connected between saidchamber and the passage of said plug for selectively delivering gas fromthe chamber to a radiator interior, said second conduit means includingfirst valve means having an exhaust port for selectively exhausting saidinterior of the radiator.
 2. The apparatus as set out in claim 1 furthercomprising: block check means in the form of a receptacle having anopening at one end complementary to a device for determining thepresence of leakage combustion gases within a cooling system; and athird conduit means operatively connected between the exhaust port ofsaid first valve means and the interior of the receptacle of said blockcheck means.
 3. The apparatus as set out in claim 2 wherein the openingat said one end of the receptacle is also complementary to the sidewallsof said plug means so as to serve as safe storage for the walls of theplug means between uses of the apparatus.
 4. The apparatus as set out inclaim 2 wherein the receptacle is provided with a restricted liquidrelief opening at the lower end thereof.
 5. The apparatus as set out inclaim 1 further comprising: gas pressure indicating means operativelyconnected to the chamber of said cap test means.
 6. The apparatus as setout in claim 1 wherein the plug means is inflatable to expand thesidewalls thereof and further comprising: third conduit meansoperatively connected between the source of pressurized gas and theinterior of said plug means for selectively directinG gas under pressureto the interior thereof.
 7. The apparatus as set out in claim 6 whereinthe third conduit means includes a control valve having an outletconnection operatively connected to the interior of said plug means andselectively exhausted to atmosphere.
 8. In an apparatus for testing avehicle cooling system that includes a radiator having a filler necknormally sealed by a removable radiator cap, the improvement comprising:an enclosure having a control panel formed thereon; a cap testingchamber mounted within the enclosure and including a cap mounting flangeprotruding outwardly through the control panel for selective closure bya radiator cap in a manner identical to the intended mounting of the capon a radiator filler neck; a filler neck plug having expandablesidewalls adapted to selectively seal the filler neck of a radiator andincluding a passage formed therethrough in open communication with theinterior of a radiator sealed thereby; a first conduit within theenclosure selectively connected to a source of pressurized air, saidfirst conduit being in communication with the interior of said captesting chamber; a second conduit within the enclosure also incommunication with the interior of said cap testing chamber, said secondconduit including a flexible section leading outward of the enclosurethrough the control panel and connected with the passage formed throughthe filler neck plug, said second conduit including a first valve withinthe enclosure for selectively connecting the passage and chamber, orexhausting the passage.
 9. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 whereinthe first valve is operated by a manual control handle on the controlpanel of the enclosure.
 10. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 furthercomprising: a pressure indicating device mounted on the control panel ofthe enclosure and operatively connected to the interior of said captesting chamber.
 11. An apparatus as set out in claim 8 wherein thefiller neck plug is inflatable through a valve connection to expand thesidewalls thereof; said apparatus further comprising: a third conduitwithin the enclosure selectively connected to the source of pressurizedair in common with said first conduit, said third conduit including aflexible conduit leading outward of the enclosure selectively connectedwith the valve connection of the filler neck plug.
 12. An apparatus asset out in claim 11 further comprising: a receptacle recessed within theenclosure having an opening at one end on the control panel of theenclosure complementary to the sidewall configuration of the filler neckplug.
 13. An apparatus as set out in claim 12 wherein the exhaustconnection of said first valve leads to the interior of said receptacle.